2025 Awards
The Agatha Award Winners 2025
Best Contemporay Novel
A Midnight Puzzle
Genres:
Puzzle Mystery • Magical Realism • Generational Secrets
Synopsis:
Magician-turned-detective Tempest Raj investigates a body hidden behind a secret wall during a home renovation steeped in family history and folklore.
Why we think it won:
Pandian infuses traditional mystery with a whimsical architectural flair and cultural nuance, crafting a story that feels both fantastical and grounded—perfect for fans of low-magic world building.
Best First Novel
You Know What You Did
Genres:
Psychological Thriller • Diaspora Fiction • Family Drama
Synopsis:
A Vietnamese-American woman confronts buried family trauma after her sister’s mysterious death, unraveling a lifetime of hidden truths.
Why we think it won:
Nguyen’s voice is electric, her narrative layered with ambiguity and emotional resonance—ideal for readers who enjoy mind-bending character studies with moral complexity.
Best Historical Novel
To Slip The Bonds of Earth
Genres:
Historical Mystery • Feminist Fiction • Cold War Tech Noir
Synopsis:
Set against the backdrop of early space exploration, a group of real-life women engineers battle sabotage—and sexism—to solve a deadly mystery at NASA’s frontlines.
Why we think it won:
Flower blends real history with thriller pacing and big-stakes science—a compelling read for fans of speculative alt-history or grounded sci-fi rooted in real breakthroughs.
Best Childrens / YA Mystery
The Sasquatch of Harriman Lake
Genres:
Creature Feature • Middle Grade Adventure • Paranormal
Mystery
Synopsis:
Young sleuths investigate strange sightings and eerie sounds in the woods, chasing down local legends that may not be so legendary after all.
Why we think it won:
Jackson creates a world that’s eerie, exciting, and just dangerous enough—an entry point into cryptid-core storytelling for curious young minds (and nostalgic grown-ups).
Best Non-Fiction
Writing The Cozy Mystery
Genres:
Genre Studies • Writing Craft • Meta-Narrative
Synopsis:
A thorough and engaging guide to writing mysteries that comfort, challenge, and captivate—told through interviews and narrative analysis.
Why we think it won:
It’s a genre manifesto as much as a manual—perfect for SFF writers curious about structure, theme, and how to write twisty plots that never lose heart.
Best Short Story
A Matter Of Trust
Genres:
Crime Fiction • Domestic Noir • Moral Dilemma
Synopsis:
A woman tries to do right by an old friend—but as motives clash and secrets surface, loyalty turns lethal in just a few expertly crafted pages.
Why we think it won:
Goffman’s tight, suspenseful storytelling proves that world-altering stakes can exist in the smallest of spaces—great for readers who love short speculative fiction with sharp edges.